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Chapter 21 - Base (TCOK)
"Um, Tubba, you might want to read this," the black-shelled Koopa told him. The crew was creeping through the undergrowth in a thick forest, as undercover as possible, to avoid detection from any Zaz Empire natives, as any Clubbas, which Tubba happened to be, would be murdered. "Huh? What's up, Clam?" Tubba asked, plodding over to his crewmate. "I found this book, it's called like 'grit pit highskooyl' or something" Clam explained, "Read this excerpt." Peering over Clam's shoulder, Tubba read the poorly scribbled words: "YOU WALL REGRET MESSING WITH TUBBA R. TUBBA FLUBBA BUBBA NUBBA WUBBA BLUBBA SR. JR. THE SECOND IV, STEP HALF COUSIN THIRD REMOVED OF THE INFAMOUS YUBBA T. XUBBA ZUBBA PUBBA LUBBA RUBBA DUB DUBBA SCRUBBA THE SECOND THE EIGHTEENTH THE THIRTIETH JR. SR. III THE FOURTH'S BEST FRIEND'S MOTHER IN-LAW'S COUSIN FROM IDAHO WHO'S BEST FRIENDS WITH THAT ONE GIRL WHO OWNS THE LAUNDROMAT IN TAIWAN, WHO I HEARD SOMETIMES LIKES TO GO ON LONG WALKS ON THE BEACH." tubba say "What does this have to do with me?" Tubba questioned, and then realized Clam was pointing to the name on the cover. "'Glitz Pit Highschool', by Chubba T. Clubba. My brother?" "I didn't know he was your brother, but the fact you were involved in it, and you introduced yourself like that, made it sound like this person was related to you," Clam explained. "Chubba had this fascination with the Glitz Pit. He said that if he wasn't going to be king, he would go to the Glitz Pit, become its owner, and re-invent the battle system," Tubba informed Clam, while poring through the book, "he wrote this as a sort of fanfiction, and portrayed me as a murdering serial killer. Once I saw how I was portrayed in it, I traded it off to the trader who always went to Gusty Gulch. Clearly it ended up here somehow." "So, it's not important?" Clam queried, and Tubba shook his head. "No, my life is with the SS Mahruav now, not with those I left behind, nor with some dream to live in the Glitz Pit." "Well, the names, I felt they were important. They're pretty creative. They actually seem like real people." Clam pointed out, "So I feel that he must have done some research." "Research? RESEARCH?" Tubba snorted, "Chubba, RESEARCH? You don't know my brother. Come on. Red? Scully? PARIN!? What type of names are those?" Clam shrugged, "Well, I'm talking to the guy whose name is Tubba and his best friend's name is Mud." "Tubba is creative!" The owner of the name protested, "Mud, I concur." "Tubby Clubba. Very creative. Like your brother's name. Chubby Clubba." "Well, what would you know?" Tubba riposted, "Your name is CLAM. C-L-A-M." Mud pushed his way between them. "Idiots! Stop arguing! We're walking through woods that if we're found, our Captain is executed and you're making enough noise to bring every single native of the Zaz Empire over here!" "Sorry, Mud," Clam muttered, but Tubba disregarded the thorn-sharp words. He was Mud's Captain, Mud couldn't order him around. He couldn't suppress a satisified smile. This is what leading a kingdom should've been like. Not one embroiled with subjects who thought your twin would do a better job. Curling his lip, Tubba began to think about the story. Parin, Scully, Red... he had heard those names before. Then, like a slap to the face, it hit him. Each species had designated a fighter "most likely to be a Glitz Pit Battler" in all the kingdoms, except the Zaz "Empire." Duplighost. Parin. Hammer Brother. Red. That-thing-that-is-drunk-and-throws-barrels-around-with-big-boxing-gloves. Scully. "Alright, we're approaching the base. We haven't been here for years," Tarz said, "I wouldn't be surprised if we couldn't get in." Shaye sighed, "Would that mean this journey was for nothing?" "Not for nothing." Mud's voice was firm. "We have got a fair scope of this area. We know it holds no danger." "Are you sure about that?" Clam asked, and when Mud nodded, Clam pointed into the trees, where an eerie wailing noise was growing louder and louder. "We've triggered something, and they're coming after us." Mud swore under his breath, before beckoning them. "Hurry, this way, and fast, but quietly!" The group of five raced through tons of ferns, bracken, leaves, thorns, and swerved between tree stumps, with Mud in the lead. "Hurry!" Tubba's First Mate bellowed back into the crowd, with Tubba in hot pursuit, and the others at his tail. The wailing sound was becoming unbearable as Mud dashed into the clearing, Tubba and the others straight behind him. Tubba watched as Mud scanned the trees desperately, looking for a easy route out of the clearing. However, as he was about to beckon them toward a patch of ferns, Tarz shouted, "Wait! This is the place!" "We have to keep running! They're coming after us!" Mud called back, and Tubba shook his head. "No! If we keep running, they'll catch up to us eventually," Tubba countermanded, "Tarz, how quick can you get the base open?" Tarz had begun scuffing at the dirt, and when he heard Tubba's call, "I need to find the trapdoor! It blends into the ground, but it'll be obvious when we find it, as it'll be a painted wood trapdoor with a small peephole going down into darkness. Just buy me time!" "Mud, Shaye, help him!" Tubba pointed with his club at Tarz. His crewmates followed his orders as quickly as possible, dashing over. Clam and Tubba, meanwhile, were waiting for the wailing noise to burst into the clearing after them.'' It's a siren! Tubba realized. It was deafening at this point, and to create a distraction... "Clam! Follow me!" Tubba shouted, dashing into the trees TOWARD the siren. In a second, he was standing before a group of six Iglators, their eyes pooling with hatred, one of them holding a siren that was belting out earsplitting noise. "Aha!" The Iglator holding the siren crowed, his orange hair flowing in the wind, making him look very much like Bowser, "A Clubba! Are you a spy for the Clubba Kingdom?" "You wish." Tubba grinned, very aware that him and Clam alone couldn't fight off six battle-hungry Iglators. He had to buy time for Tarz. Clam came bursting through the trees, and stood beside his Captain as the two of them stared down the Iglators. "Mud! We need to find it by LOOKING at it, not stomping on it! It feels like grass!" Tarz's impatient voice raced through the trees. Tubba looked at the Iglators, only to sigh in relief when he realized that their English was very poor. The lead Iglator, one with tufted red hair and a black shell, ordered something to one of his secondary Iglators, in Zizaziz, the native language, with that Iglator dashing away through the trees once the order was complete. ''He's gone to get reinforcements. That means they know there's more of us. Which means... "We need something long, that can fit in this hole, so we can turn it like a key..." Tarz's voice echoed toward them. Exchanging a glance with Clam, the two of them nodded. Clam would hold them when Tubba dashed back through the trees to hand the others Karubba's club. "Now, Clam!" Tubba shouted, and immediately turned tail and ran back toward the clearing. When he burst back into it, the others were poring over a small patch of tufted grass, and Tubba called, "Take this!" Karubba's club glinting in the noonday sky, Tarz leapt to his feet and grabbed the club, and shoved it into the peephole as quick as he could. Turning it around four times, and then pulling back, Tarz pulled the trapdoor out of the ground. Dirt flying through the air, Tarz called, "Run into there, there are stairs!" Shaye instantly darted into the hole now created by the trapdoor, but Mud and Tubba didn't move. "We need to get Clam, and quickly!" Tubba told Tarz, and without leaving the older person a chance to protest, he turned around, and raced back through the trees once again to get to Clam. When Tubba reached the area where he had left Clam, he saw a trail of freshly spilled blood dripping through the ferns, and the ferns were trampled on, as if someone was dragged through there. Following the trail of blood, Mud and Tarz behind him, Tarz with Karubba's club. But even as they kept racing after the trail of blood, the reality was beginning to set in. Clam was gone.